Ron Hansen (Place 7)

What inspired you to run for Coppell ISD Board of Trustees?

“I was inspired to run for Coppell ISD Board of Trustees because I love CISD.  We have raised our 4 children here and they all attended only CISD K-12.    I believe I can make a difference. I believe I can be a catalyst to make Coppell ISD even better.”

What experiences make you the ideal candidate to serve as a Coppell ISD trustee?

“My 33 years business experience working with major US corporations make me the ideal candidates. Since 1985 I have worked with several hundred large organizations assisting them with complicated financial matters.  I have seen inside and out what makes good companies good and bad companies bad. I have been through a number of corporate restructuring programs that were initiated to assist organizations to obtain their objective.  I have also served and President of both the Wrestling and Football Booster Clubs at Coppell High School.  I graduated from Leadership Coppell and served on the Economic Development committee.  I founded the youth wrestling program in Coppell and actively coached it for 10 years.  I have also been the President of the West Point Parent Club.”

What are the biggest issues facing Coppell ISD today and in the near future?

1. 1. “Crushing property taxes that are causing a major financial burden for Coppell families.
   2. Robin Hood legislation – takes roughly 25% of our money and sends it to lower property value areas.
   3. Not spending our money properly – more money needs to be directed to teachers and classrooms, less to administration and overhead.
   4. Using expensive technology that does not work as well as it should.  Example, a $570 iPad could be replaced with a $150 Chrome Book, and it has a keyboard to learn business skills.”

What plans do you propose to address these issues and concerns?

1. “High Property Taxes / Robin Hood – work with state legislature to assist them in devising a plan to fix school funding.  Today, the CISD Board of Trustees has no relationship whatsoever with our legislators.  I can change that. CISD must be at the table when school finance items are discussed. Establishing and maintaining good relationships is an essential part of good governance.
2. Not spending our dollars properly – we need to reevaluate our priorities and spend money in the right place.  Teachers need to make more money, all of them.  It is hard to keep good teachers with the wages teaching pays.  Texas is like #28 nationally in teacher pay.  We can and must do better in order to continue to turn out the best students.
3. Technology – reevaluate understanding and purpose.  Technology is cool, but is it really helping students to learn more and retain better?  There are studies to the contrary.   We must only use technology that is proven to work.  Experimentation in education is a very dangerous thing, only proven methods of teaching/learning should be used.”

When you have the opportunity to tell a stranger about Coppell ISD, what do you say?

“Coppell, Texas is my home, I have lived there for 24 years and I have been a part of the tremendous growth that it has experienced. Coppell is one of the best cities in America to live in because of its school and its proximity to DFW.  It is a family community that is a great place to live.”